More fun for us JSA Job Seekers

[essexmat]

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Happy Monday Jobseekers!

 

Presumably they are paying our fares and also telling us to give up our voluntary work and of course also cut down on our job searches?

 

EDIT: Sorry, cannot find web page, saw it on Twitter

[Mr.P]

http://www.politicshome.com/uk/article/96956/the_independent_sunday_27th_april_2014.html - Probably a rehash of a link I posted earlier: http://www.pcs.org.uk/en/department_for_work_and_pensions_group/dwp-news.cfm/help-to-work-and-sr13-conditionality

 

Will be interesting to see what the Independent has to say tomorrow...

[Nystagmite]

How will the job centres find time to fit everyone in everyday? That time could be spent with the job seeker doing job seeking activities and the advisors spending time with people who really need it.

[sillygirl1]

If there were plentiful jobs of all kinds available then it would make sense, but as there are not plenty of jobs available ANYWHERE then this is just propaganda....

 

Our local job centre couldn't cope with the large number of people in one day who already use it - there are four phones downstairs in the reception area for public use, if every claimant had to ring the companies they had applied to with an adviser they would need a whole load more advisers - hang on - that is where they will get their 'plentiful jobs' from!

[jasta11]

Even their own PCS Union are condemning it as a means of 'setting people up to fail', not getting them back to work.

 

Seems only 50% of customers will be 'chosen' for these extra activities so even more important now to show them you're already on the ball and doing plenty - hopefully they won't pick you then. Ironically, I'd be at least £22 a week better off if they called me in every day and provided a free weekly bus pass, as I live way out in the wilds and spend that amount each week just on shopping trips into town and visiting my elderly parents.

[Alfie29]

I saw this this morning and made me angry! I'm doing a course so HOPEFULLY they will leave me alone till end of june at least?! But coming in EVERY day? How will JC cope with that? They can't as it is! Sometimes I think ending my life is better then this I REALLY DO!!!!!

[essexmat]

The government and imbeciles like IDS are just blinkered. Well, they aren't, they know the real story out there but obviously cannot let on they know as of course "things are getting better" ahem.

 

The simple fact is they won't be able to cope and I hope anyone who has to do this makes their advisers life a misery when attending - it may not be their fault as they are following directives but they also need to be p***ed off the same as we are.

 

Looking at these plans from a personak perspective it would mean I would have to give up my voluntary work which keeps my references and skills up to date, spend half a day travelling to and from JCP/WP and spending virtually no time looking for work - how is that a benefit to anyone? I said many moons ago, if I dodn't need the £72 and could get that working a day or two I would forget about my contributions simply to be able to sign off from this regime of dictatorship.

[martindn]

In other news http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-27144637?ocid=socialflow_twitter.

 

Roughly a quarter of the total JSA bill, also i think the total cost of all Benefit Fraud. You think one of us "Scroungers" could make a deal with HMRC?

[essexmat]

One rule for ... another for .... same old story.

 

Regards

Benefit Scrounger

(18 years NI and Tax Paid)

[Mr.P]

The story according to the Independent: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/jobless-mustsign-on-every-day-government-to-dock-money-from-longterm-unemployed-if-they-do-not-comply-9294586.html

The simple fact is they won't be able to cope and I hope anyone who has to do this makes their advisers life a misery when attending - it may not be their fault as they are following directives but they also need to be p***ed off the same as we are.

 

If everyone overran their allotted time by five minutes (easy to do if you take it slow and ask for detailed answers), the whole thing would fall apart within a month.

 

Advisers have now been re-branded as “Work Coaches”

Ouch, thats got to hurt.

[estellyn]

However they try to justify the new measures, they have been put in place because taking punitive measures against benefit claimants is a middle class vote winner.

 

 

stating that there are 600,000 vacancies at any one time is being deliberately deceptive, as most of these are caused by people who are already working moving into different jobs - their job then becomes a vacancy and another working person applies and gets the job and their old job then becomes a vacancy and so on. Yes, unemployed people will on occasion get the job, but someone working will generally have an advantage over someone long term unemployed. And yes there are new jobs created sometimes, but there are an awful lot of people going for these jobs. Some jobs in my area have more than 150 applicants for one job.

 

 

By all means, jobseekers should be undertaking training or doing voluntary work to increase their skills, employability and give back to the community, and there should be sanctions if someone long term unemployed refuses to take steps to improve their prospects of employment (though in reality most unemployed people I've met would jump at the chance of a training course or voluntary work/work experience that would help them to get a job). But punitive measures like daily signing are not designed to get someone back into work, they are designed to increase the number of sanctions (and therefore decrease the 'official' claimant count). Pretty despicable.

[antone]

Yes. Plus, of course, let's imagine as a hypothetical that every single one of those 600,000 vacancies was real and filled tomorrow by an unemployed person.

 

What do the other 2 million odd unemployed folks do?

[essexmat]

"Yes. Plus, of course, let's imagine as a hypothetical that every single one of those 600,000 vacancies was real and filled tomorrow by an unemployed person.

 

What do the other 2 million odd unemployed folks do?"

 

Let us also imagine that these 600,000 vacancies are actualy jobs and not zero contract or part time - not forgetting that these 600,000 'jobs' are demographic so it would be really useful to apply for a job in Birmingham when you live in Essex - that would work well.

 

Punitive, spiteful and wholly inappropriate measures which are going to make a lot of people very ill and stressed

[jasta11]

I see there's already been a couple of FOI requests on Whatdotheyknow for the guidance relating to this 'Help To Work' rubbish but they've been fobbed off with the usual 'It's not in the public interest at this point to disclose anything as Ministers are still exploring options'.

 

In other words, they're still making it up as they go along - though one FOI response states that guidance will be available from the day the scheme starts, which is today, 28th April. I look forward to reading it.. should it ever actually appear, naturally. I sign on this Thursday and I'll certainly be asking my adviser what she's been told. Ooops - must stop saying 'adviser'; under the new regime she's now called a 'coach'.

[fightingback99]

However they try to justify the new measures, they have been put in place because taking punitive measures against benefit claimants is a middle class vote winner.

.

 

To be honest Estellyn I don't agree with this statement. All my family and friends work in jobs ranging from banking , doctors, midwives, retail mangement. Not sure what class if any that puts them in.

Can't see punitive measures against benefit claimants encouraging any of them to vote for a political party, if anything i think it would be the opposite. Perhaps they could be accused of not keeping up to date or getting involved because it doesn't affect them, but they're generally more interested in job creation and how life will be for their kids in the future.

[estellyn]

To be honest Estellyn I don't agree with this statement. All my family and friends work in jobs ranging from banking , doctors, midwives, retail mangement. Not sure what class if any that puts them in.

Can't see punitive measures against benefit claimants encouraging any of them to vote for a political party, if anything i think it would be the opposite. Perhaps they could be accused of not keeping up to date or getting involved because it doesn't affect them, but they're generally more interested in job creation and how life will be for their kids in the future.

 

 

Then good on your family for not being swayed by propaganda. I didn't say it would win all middle class votes, but may sway some (as well as some working class voters who've been swayed). The strivers versus skivers rhetoric has unfortunately been very pervasive, with some people becoming convinced with the line that most benefit claimants are scroungers and could work if they tried, and therefore cracking down on claimants has their support.

 

 

Pretty classic political strategy actually. Tell people about a fictional problem, get them worked up about it, then tell them that you're fixing the 'problem' for them. the people that got worked up are now more likely to support you as you fixed their 'problem'. Of course it only works on those that get worked up and fall for the propaganda - not everyone does.

[tommy456]

This sort of thing is typical of a Tory government, Although officially we don't actually have one, (could of fooled me) They will be hoping that most of the unemployed will take to option to do voluntary work, as that is what they want, because every unemployed person who takes the voluntary work option , will most likely no longer be counted in the figures as umemployed , which in turn allow the loonatics like camerloon, & IDS , to spread more propaganda & lies about the number of jobless falling under their control, how this is saving lots of money, and that everything is ok ,nothing to see here,

 

Don't forget they want their new train set (HS2) which will be a big loss ,not gain to the Northwest ect. Then money would be better spent on providing FTTH Fibre to the home, or office, so the need to commute 100s of miles each week would cease to be required,

This rail link if it goes ahead will be a waste of tax payers money, money that apparently we don't have according to our trustworthy politicians

[Mr.P]

Finally, a list of providers "delivering" this new Community Work Placement: http://www.twpsolutions.co.uk/news/community-work-placement-winners.htm

[estellyn]

article in The Guardian

 

 

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/apr/30/help-to-work-is-really-punishment-unemployed-people

[Lilly_Monroe]

I pray they do not get back in power and that Labour will at least reduce some of the tight hold on being unemployed and ill.

Because if they are put back in power heaven help us all.

 

I found some of the comments on that article interesting, a few hard core hard hearted people still spout the 'make um do something for their money' but on the whole it does not find favour.

 

Yes, find the hard core do not want to work brigade, and those who cheat the system but they are a minority, of which the government trade off the back of, when spouting their hatred of us all.

[estellyn]

I wonder if they'd save money by scrapping the whole 'jobseeking' industry and give every working age adult £70 a week. Then people would stop whining about people getting 'something for nothing', and people looking for work could be left to look for work instead of jump through hoops. Controversial, I know, but I think it would work much better and would also stimulate the economy.

[boomboomboom]

Finally, a list of providers "delivering" this new Community Work Placement: http://www.twpsolutions.co.uk/news/community-work-placement-winners.htm

 

i see learn direct delivering the work placement for scotland but as i was told if u were doing a work placement u would be doing something for "your local Area/community" if that is then learn direct is not local to me its 30mins away lol!

 

who is delivering your community work placement?

[Chester6]

Why give back to the community? Often the supposed community has done nothing for you

This idea is just punishment for the so-called crime of being unemployed

Labour (if they get elected) would probably just be nastier then the Tories with whatever they do as it's a race to see who can treat the unemployed tge worse

[boomboomboom]

Why give back to the community? Often the supposed community has done nothing for you

This idea is just punishment for the so-called crime of being unemployed

Labour (if they get elected) would probably just be nastier then the Tories with whatever they do as it's a race to see who can treat the unemployed tge worse

 

all they wanna do is sanction u and then saves them cash and am sure it goes to a lovely holiday for all there "hard work they do to get our money took off us"

 

why cant any government not see this is forced work if i wanted to do this a would do a crime to do community service as this is what this help to work scheme is.

 

am sure they could help us instead of forcing and bullying us into things i want to work but getting forced to no.

[Nystagmite]

So, if you sign on everyday, how are you meant to do 35 hours job search? And advisors won't have time to see you either.

 

What a waste of everyone's time.

 

What exactly is this going to achieve?